Endoscopic management of bleeding gastric varices--an updated overview.

Gastric varices (GVs) are known to bleed massively and often difficult to manage with conventional techniques. This article aims to overview the endoscopic methods for the management of acute gastric variceal bleeding, especially the advantages and limits of GV obliteration with tissue adhesives, by comparison with band ligation and other direct endoscopic techniques of approach. The results of indirect radiological and surgical techniques of GV treatment are shortly discussed. A special attention is payed to the emerging role of endoscopic ultrasound in the therapy of bleeding GV, in the confirmation of its eradication and in follow-up strategies.